The Lexiconians
by Megamafan16
Summary: The Doctor (and Susan) meet WordGirl for the first time...in her teenage years, after she has met him several times over! On a whim, they all go to Planet Lexicon...and get caught in a web of intrigue as WordGirl has to save the home she never knew! 1st Chapter: A Familiar Stranger! Also featuring 'The Doctor's World'. Series finale (for now), so i'm pulling out all the stops!
1. A Familiar Stranger

Disclaimer: I own only the plot. Doctor Who and all related characters are BBC, and WordGirl is PBS.

Unlike my previous WG/DW fics, the Episodes (chapters) are individually titled, like episodes of Hartnell's era. Mainly because this story features William Hartnell's (First) Doctor, as well as Susan Foreman as played by Carole Ann Ford.

Also, Stay tuned until the end to witness the first edition of 'The Doctor's World,' featuring facts and words based off Doctor Who.

* * *

WordGirl and Doctor Who in...

A FAMILIAR STRANGER!

**Narrator: Listen for the words 'Acquaintance' and 'Tourist'.**

* * *

**What a wonderful day in our Fair City...a few years in the future!**

**That's right, Becky Botsford is fifteen years old now, and her friends and acquaintances have all gotten a bit older as well! Violet, Scoops, Tobey, Victoria and Eileen, along with all the others, have entered High School, and are having a wonderful time!**

"I'll say!" said Becky as she jogged down the mall, wearing a larger-sized version of her usual outfit from grade school. "I'd go over all the changes that happened during that deliberate time skip of yours, but there's a new Pretty Princess Official Music album coming out, and I need to get in line!"

She waved goodbye to the invisible narrator, and picked up her pace; a disguised-as-a-trenchcoat-wearing-human Bob, or Captain Huggyface as he's known to the superhero world, merely laughed a chimpanzee's laugh before returning to his massive hero sandwich.

**Yeah... I guess some things never do change.**

**Meanwhile, just in the other corner of the mall...**

_Vrrrrooooossshhshsh...Vrrroooossshh...Vrrooosh...CLUNK!_

Without anyone noticing, a new, blue-colored vending machine appeared in a corner, and then opened up...and two people stepped out and closed the machine behind them! One was a teenage girl with a short haircut, a dark orange and yellow striped sweater, a brown skirt with blue pants underneath, and a pair of earpieces hanging around her neck from which she heard her music. She looked around, excited to see so many people of so many colors.

The other was an old man with white hair that hung around the back of his head, wearing a coat, a vest, and a pair of trousers that all went out of style a century ago. His wrinkled face gazed disapprovingly upon the scene the girl loved, absent-mindedly playing with his ring ( a signet-style ring which contained a prominent blue crystal) and his walking stick as he said "Well, you've picked a rather dangerous place this time, Susan."

"Are you serious, Grandfather?" the girl, Susan, asked the old man, still excited; "This is the late 20th Century, in Fair City! It's not the time when strange things are commonplace!"

"It's also the time when rumors are becoming harder and harder to disprove, my child. If someone saw us arrive just now, the might tell their friends...and word would spread across time and space along the proverbial grapevine, until, eventually, _they_ hear about it."

Susan sighed, and said: "What will it take to convince you, the Time Lords won't find us here, in this ordinary shopping mall?"

"...You're assurance that you won't do anything too obvious will do for now." said the man after a pause. Then he patted his granddaughter on the shoulder, and smiled at her.

"Thank you, Grandfather. And I promise you; I'll be just an ordinary tourist, and stay in the background."

"As will I...now, I wonder what sort of food is served here; I will admit, I've wanted something from somewhere other than the food dispenser as of late."

"Oh, I'm not hungry, Grandfather; I'm here for the music...and I heard of a line of dolls called 'Pretty Princess' that everyone loved in this age!"

The old man giggled, and said, "Oh, very well...you can go off on your own if you must...but run right back to the ship if anything suspicious happens."

"Understood! I'll find you at the food court when I'm done!" And with that, the pair parted ways.

*(one scene transition later)*

Becky danced her way out of the hall, her head full of new music inspired by Pretty Princess coming from her headset...when she suddenly collided with a fellow mall-goer! The two teenage girls fell down on the floor, spilling the contents of the bags they were carrying among other things.

"Oh my – I'm sorry! I didn't mean to – I wasn't watching where I was going! I..." Becky frantically said as she picked up the various books and clothes that flew out of her shopping bag...

"Oh my – I'm sorry! I didn't mean to – I wasn't watching where I was going! I..." the other girl unknowingly echoed back at her, desperately trying to organize the pile of clothes and books she had just dropped...

...and then both parties stopped as they realized they were saying the same thing to each other.

"Umm...Well, what I meant to say was..." Both said, at exactly the same time.

"Uhh...you can stop now..." Both said, at exactly the same time yet again.

"..." they began to say...and then they both gave up, and wound up laughing instead.

"Wow!" Becky finally said after a fit of laughter, "Talk about an awkward way to start a conversation!"

"I know, right? First I crash into you, and then we start talking at the same time..."

"...all that's missing is the awkward introductions! Hi, I'm Becky Botsford!"

Becky extended her hand towards the girl, who slowly (apparently unsure of herself) reached out and grabbed Becky's hand. As they shook, the girl said: "My name's Susan."

And with that, both girls finally had recovered all their spilled goods, and stood up as Becky said; "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Susan!"

"...Come again?" asked Susan.

"An 'acquaintance' is a 'person you know, but not usually a close friend.' At least not yet, in most cases. Anyway, when I say I 'make your acquaintance,' I am saying that I know you, and that you know me as well!"

"...I guess it does!" Then, Susan turned away from Becky, thinking aloud to herself: "Huh...i wonder if that leaves me with several thousand acquaintances..."

"Um, what are you talking-"

"Oh, nothing! Nothing, Becky! It was just some silly stuff..."

"Oh, it's OK. I've got a couple of secrets myself! You don't have to tell if you don't want to."

This made Susan breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank you for understanding."

"Yeah...You know, Susan, if you want to be friends, and not just acquaintances, I'd be happy with that."

"Oh, sorry, but me and my Grandfather won't be here for that long. We're just tourists passing through. I don't really think it would be worth becoming full-time friends...I won't really be seeing you again after today."

"Aww..." Becky said disappointed...but then she brightened up, saying: "Who's to say we can't hang out today?"

"...Nothing, really!"

"Well then, come on!"

…..

Both girls laughed themselves silly at the various ridiculous fashion choices each tried out, gazed in sparkly-eyed awe at the newest line of Pretty Princess and Magic Pony dolls, and snapped their fingers to the latest music. In short, to make her stay feel very well spent, Becky treated Susan to every enjoyment a teenage mall-girl would expect.

**Meanwhile, at the food court...**

The old man had propped hiscane up against a chair, and sat down to enjoy a chicken sandwich, trying desperately to distract himself from the fear he expressed when talking to his granddaughter. Some of the time, he succeeded, while other times found him glancing to and fro as if anyone could be a potential enemy.

It was during one of those times that an elderly, dark-skinned woman in a light purple dress, with a bun in her white hair and a giant purple necklace on her neck, walked up to the old man and asked: "Oh excuse me, honey-bunny, but what's got you so jumpy?"

"GAH!" shouted the old man, caught by surprise. After he caught his sandwich before it hit the floor, he looked at the newcomer and, cautiously, said: "Please, do not sneak up on poor old tourists like that. It's rather rude. Besides, who are you...and how did you know I was 'jumpy'?"

"Oh, I'm Granny May, and I just know these things. Plus, look at these hands a'yours!" Granny May said as she grabbed the man's right hand with both of hers.

"When old hands are shaking that much, you know somebody's afraid of something. Know what I'm saying?"

The old man pulled his hand out of her grasp, irritated; 'I can deal with my fear in my own way, thank you very much."

"I was just trying to make a new acquaintance." And with that, Granny May strolled off, leaving the old man to continue his meal...

….until he noticed that the blue signet ring on his right hand had suddenly disappeared. He looked at Granny May as she left, and then called after her (in a completely non-threatening tone): "I don't suppose you've seen my ring lying about, have you? Hmm?"

Granny May instantly stopped...and said: "Oh, sorry, no. Is it special to you?"

"Yes...a friend gave it to me. Also, he told me that the crystal's from the planet Metebelis III, and would be very dangerous in the wrong hands."

At this, Granny May snickered, and said: "Or very valuable when sold to the right person...you know what, I'll keep it!" as she displayed the ring to him... now on her own hand.

And before the old man could react, Granny May pulled a pair of knitting needles out of her hair, and pointed them at him...sending a wave of purple yarn towards him, tying him up!

"Later, sucker!" she said tauntingly, as she pressed her finger to her giant pearl necklace...which instantly turned into a suit of armor and a jetpack, with which she flew away, leaving the man totally shocked!

"...A jetpack? Humans in this time have jetpacks? Oh dear dear dear dear, I must have gotten a... coordinate mixed up somehow..." he said to himself worriedly.

*(one scene transition later)*

"...And then my Grandfather said: 'No, my child; I don't think that's a toy at all!'"

Becky laughed at Susan's anecdote about her grandfather, and then commented: "Wow, that was embarrassing! And the voice you gave your grandfather sounds like-"

Suddenly, Becky's super-hearing picked up "_Stop! Thief!_",somewhere within the mall, alerting her to a potential crime in progress.

"-sounds like trouble!" she said accidentally. Susan asked her what she meant by 'trouble,' to which Becky responded:

"Nothing! Nothing, and I didn't mean to insult your grandfather in any way...listen, I gotta go...maybe you should go meet up with your Grandfather or something. Nice hanging out with you, Bye!"

And with that, Becky ran off, smiling back at Susan as she ducked behind a corner, waited until Susan started wandering off...then whistled to Bob, who rushed over to her so they could change into their alter-egos as Becky shouted: "WOOOORRRDD UP!"

*(one scene transition later)*

"GRANDFATHER!" Susan shouted, horrified at seeing her grandfather tied up in a pile of yarn, even though bystanders were working to free him as she continued: "Who did this?"

"An old woman, who also stole my ring!"

"Somebody call the pol-" Susan started to shout, but her grandfather interrupted her: "No! I cannot become involved in something like this! That woman had-"

Suddenly, the old man was interrupted himself, as the armored thief known as Granny May was suddenly dumped onto the ground in front of him, all tied up in her own yarn!

Then, everyone saw a sight that shocked no one except for Susan and her grandfather: A girl (apparently in her teens) floated into view from above, wearing a skin-tight red uniform with a yellow-and-red star decoration on her chest, boots and gloves colored a darker red than most of her outfit, a yellow cape, and a red helmet that went over her entire head, leaving only space for her hair and face! On her shoulder was a chimpanzee with a blue shirt with a yellow lighting bolt, red pants, and a red helmet with a noticeable antenna!

"Grroooh! WordGirl got me again! Maybe I really _am_ getting too old for this..." said Granny May in a sad manner.

"Well, _technically_ Captain Huggyface did a lot of the work..." said the floating teenage girl, modestly, as the monkey on her shoulder giggled with embarrassment.

"...But anyway, I take it you were the one she stole this ring from?" the girl then asked, opening her hand to reveal a ring with a large blue crystal, as she floated towards the old man.

"h...How did you know it was me?" he asked, nervously...to which she responded: "Well, you were the only one covered in Granny May's yarn in the entire mall..."

"Oh." the old man said, relieved somewhat. He then cleared his throat, shook of the remainder of the yarn, and took his ring from the flying girl.

"Well, thank you...hmmm...who are you?" he asked, embarrassed.

"What?" said a random confused bystander, "You don't know WordGirl and Captain Huggyface? The heroes who fight for truth, justice, and the use of the right word?"

"Oh, sorry...you see, we're just tourists, just passing through..."

"Tourists, eh? As in 'people who travel to or visit special places for pleasure or business? Well, that would somewhat explain why you haven't heard of me..."

"...Yes yes yes, of course! We're not from around here, and don't really pay attention to world news... We were just stopping in this town here to pick up some supplies, and then we would be right on our way...but I can say I'm glad to have met you, WordGirl. And your monkey friend, Captain Huggyface...that's his name, right?"

Captain Huggyface nodded, glad that someone got his name and species right on the first try!

"All in a day's work!" said WordGirl, just before she and Huggy waved to him. "Pleased to make your acquaintance! And now that it seems I am no longer needed WOOOORRRDD UP!"

And with that, WordGirl flew away in a flash of orange light.

Susan looked at the space in the air where WordGirl was floating, and her face gleamed in admiration...and her imagination ran wild, what with meeting a friend and that superhero in the same day...

….until her grandfather grabbed her hand and said: "Come along now Susan; I think it best we left now."

"What? But...Grandfather! There's so much more to-"

"I'm afraid we're going to miss the rest this place has to offer." The two then left, leaving the nearby civilians confused.

*(one scene transition later)*

"But Grandfather," she said when she didn't think anyone was watching them, as they approached the vending machine they arrived in, "I chose this era because the people here wouldn't recognize a TARDIS or a Time Lord if they see them!"

"I know, Susan, but this cannot be the era you chose! That woman had a jetpack, and that 'WordGirl' character was obviously an alien! None of those things are supposed to happen yet on this planet! Obviously, we landed in the wrong time or...or something! And we have to get out of here!"

"No...Impossible! I set those directions myself! Ooh...At least let me say goodbye to Becky, Grandfather!"

"I'm afraid that will not be-" the old man began to say, when another voice interrupted her:

"Susan? What are you doing back here...wait, is that your Grandfather?" asked Becky, who had just rounded the corner with Bob right behind her.

"Oh, Becky!" Susan ran up to her, and gave her a quick hug.

"Oh, very well then. Hello and goodbye, new acquaintance of Susan." said the old man, exasperated; "Now my child, can we get on with it and leave? We have to get out of here!"

"Wait...Why?"

"None of your business!" he shot back, as he pulled Susan over and whispered: "_Susan, not only is this era too advanced, your acquaintance knew where to find us! If we don't get out of here immediately, we'll be surrounded by Time Lords before you can say 'Rassilon's your uncle!'_"

"_Fine... I really wish we could just __be__ the tourists we claim to be, and didn't have to live in fear all the time..._" Susan whispered back...

...when suddenly, Becky said: "What are you talking about?"

And before the old man could shout 'none of your business' again, Becky continued: "I thought I heard something about 'Time Lords'...sorta rings a bell..."

Then, completely oblivious to the old man's panic, she suddenly exclaimed: "Wait a minute...Are you running from the Doctor?"

"...What?"

"The Doctor's one of WordGirl's best friends, and _he's_ a Time Lord...Susan, please tell me you're not one of the Doctor's enemies!"

"...But...But my grandfather _is_ the Doctor!"

"SUSAN!" shouted her grandfather angrily; "Now that she knows my name, she has everything she needs to set the Time Lords after us!"

Becky gasped in amazement; Here was the man who, popping up at random intervals in his timeline, helped her against Daleks, Cybermen, Ice Warriors, and several of her own gallery of supervillains! The nigh-immortal time-traveling alien known only as the Doctor!

Instantly, she remembered that the Doctor was of the opinion that she and Tobey would make fantastic romantic partners, so she worked over what she would say in her head: she would describe how she and Scoops came to a decision that they were better off as 'just friends', but Tobey hasn't wavered in his devotion to her...and she, after thinking about it, may even be considering finally giving him a chance...

...but her thoughts were interrupted as she saw the Doctor fiddling with the door of a nearby vending machine!

Becky paused for a second...and then shouted: "Wait! WordGirl says your one of her best friends! Please, don't go! I'm sure she won't give away anything you don't want known! I promise I won't tell anyone either!"

"Oh? And how do you know that, hmmm? I've never met this WordGirl before, so I cannot say I trust her in any way!"

Becky thought over the Doctor's question for a second... thinking about how everytime the Doctor's met her, except this one, he knew everything about her...and then she said: "How do I know WordGirl won't betray you? Because...I'm WordGirl!"

And with that, Becky pressed her hand to her chest, and changed into WordGirl before their very eyes! Everyone, including her nearby monkey, was shocked...and even more shocked when the monkey sighed, and pulled the uniform of Captain Huggyface out of nowhere!

…..

….. "Ah, I see..." said the Doctor, "If I revealed your true identity, your family would be in big trouble...so you keep my being here secret, and I'll keep your secret. Is that how it works?"

"...Well, it's a start."

Finally, Susan spoke up: "You're actually trusting someone? Oh, thank you, Grandfather!"

"...Heh. Seems I am." said the Doctor with a smile, as Susan wrapped her arms around him.

WordGirl smiled, and said: "Well, we have some catching up to do...we can do it inside your TARDIS if you'd prefer. Now, where is it parked?"

"Right here!" the Doctor said as he grabbed the edge of the vending machine, and pulled it open...to reveal the familiar bigger-on-the-inside interior of the TARDIS.

"...Wait, your TARDIS can change shape, like the Master's? I thought it was stuck in the form of-"

"Please, don't spoil the surprise for me."

**Later, WordGirl and the Doctor have told each other a lot about...well, each other, within the TARDIS...**

The Doctor was quite shocked to hear the narrator, but as soon as WordGirl explained that he was just a narrator, the Doctor thought: 'oh, it must be one of those times.'

Then, he turned back to WordGirl: "So, WordGirl, let me see if I follow...In my future, I really _am_ the space-time tourist I want to be, meet you as a child, and play the role of a fellow superhero? Defeating all these fantastic creatures that I have never heard of before, and acting like I know everything there is to know about them?"

WordGirl nodded, and the Doctor put his hand to his chin in amazement. "Well, sorry to say, I'll just have to wait and see. Deal with it as it comes up."

"It's OK. Still surprised you haven't met the Daleks yet...you said they were your oldest enemies!"

"I can think of a reason for that: I've really just started my travels, and have really made an effort to stay out of trouble and make as few enemies...or, as you've found out, friends, as possible."

"You see," the Doctor continued, "The whole reason I left my home on Planet Gallifrey was I broke a few rules of my people, the Time Lords... and if they were to find out where I was they would punish me severely...leaving no one to look after poor Susan here. You can understand why I'm frightened of nearly everything...can't you?"

WordGirl nodded again. Then Susan said: "I keep telling him friends are a valuable thing to have, but where I see nice people and worthwhile acquaintances, he only sees people who want to threaten me. And he won't take any chances. We're always on the move, seeing the sights and then leaving without a trace."

"A life I would prefer not to have, Susan...but until I'm more confident about being able to protect you, it is what we must deal with."

"...But it's not all bad, WordGirl!" Susan said, "Because if it weren't for my Grandfather's curiosity, we would be living an unbelievably boring life on Karn or someplace like that where the Time Lords rarely go! As it is, we actually get to see some interesting things! It's why we are tourists, after a fashion, and not just frightened people running away!"

"...Well, glad your happy at any rate!"

"Yes...well, now, may I ask you a question? Namely, what planet are you from?"

"Oh, me and Captain Huggyface come from Planet Lexicon!"

Suddenly, the Doctor's face lit up in remembrance: "What? Lexicon? The word-capital of the universe?"

"Never heard it called that before, but yeah!"

"...What a coincidence! I went there during my schooling days on Gallifrey! I learned over two billion languages during my stay of a few months there! My tutor, Astellakar, was one of the friendliest people I remember having the good fortune to encounter! Oh, before I fled Gallifrey, I intended to take Susan there once..."

Suddenly, the Doctor stopped talking, and his thoughts turned inwards...only interrupted by Captain Huggyface screeching something, to which the Doctor responded: "The food dispenser? It's past that door over there."

…...

…..Then, the Doctor said: "Oh, very well, A quick tour wouldn't hurt us. Shall we pay a visit to Planet Lexicon, Susan?"

"Oh, that would be splendid, Grandfather!"

"Excellent! Well, WordGirl, It's been nice getting acquainted with you, but you said you have responsibilities as a superhero, so I must ask us to part ways here..."

WordGirl nodded...but then, suddenly, she remembered something...something the Doctor told her a long time ago via a letter...

…...

_In case you wanted to ask me what your home planet, Lexicon, was like; you'll find out soon enough, and I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. Just keep being the superhero, keep living your normal lives as Becky and Bob Botsford, and let it come to you._

_-The Doctor._

…...

"Wait! Can't I come too? I left my planet as a child, and hardly have any memories other than what Huggy told me about..."

"But we can't take you with us, or-"

"But this is a time machine, right? You could take me right back here the instant you're done! Nobody would miss anything!"

Susan caught on to what WordGirl was requesting: "Oh, Grandfather, can she come?"

The Doctor thought...and finally said: "Very well. But remember, all of you: We're not to get involved in anything noteworthy; we're just tourists, here to see the sights and leave."

"I can deal with that!"

The Doctor smiled, and then walked over to the central console of the TARDIS...and with a flick of a few switches, they disappeared into the emptiness of time.

_Vrrrrooooshhhh...Vrooooooshh...Vrrroooosshh...Vrooooosh..._

**What will WordGirl and the Doctor encounter on Planet Lexicon? Will they be able to stay just tourists, or will their new acquaintanceship be cut short by disaster? And can the answer be any more obvious?**

**For these answers and more, stay tuned for the next exciting adventure of WORDGIRL and DOCTOR WHO!**

* * *

NEXT EPISODE:

**THE LIBRARY CITY**

* * *

_Out of a white void steps a well-dressed, white-haired old man..._

"Hello! I'm the Doctor! The original, you might say! My friend WordGirl tells me that, during the breaks between her stories, some colorful characters show up and define new words for the audience! I've decided to take a crack at it myself; hence, welcome to 'The Doctor's World.'"

_An image of space appears..._

"So...Space...Time...All of this is my domain. This is the universe. Universe, being_ '_All existing matter and space considered as a whole,' or, for short, everything there ever is."

"And all throughout my long life, I shall explore every inch of it! Flying through the vast emptiness in my tiny little TARDIS, seeing all that the universe has to offer me. All of time, and space, everything that ever happened or ever will...quite a challenge, but I intend to see the greatness of all things that I can. For to me, there is no such thing as 'too much experience.'"

"Now, back to the show!"

* * *

For Fans of Doctor Who: Happy 50th anniversary, and enjoy my tribute to William Hartnell's era!

For Fans of WordGirl: Enjoy this fun romp into my interpretation of WordGirl's origins!

For fans of fanfiction in general: You're in for a real treat! (just don't forget to favorite and/or review)


	2. The Library City

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, that is property of the BBC, nor do I own WordGirl, property of PBS. Please support the official releases for both, because they give inspiration for fanfics like these.

* * *

WordGirl and Doctor Who in...

THE LIBRARY CITY!

**Narrator: Today's featured words are 'Society' and 'Scholar.'**

* * *

**When we last saw WordGirl and Captain Huggyface, they had just met their old friend the Doctor, and his granddaughter Susan...before he had ever met her! After a brief standoff, the Doctor eventually decided to take WordGirl on a trip to Planet Lexicon!**

"Home of the greatest scholars in their section of the universe!" the Doctor added to the end of the Narrator's recap, just before turning back to the console in the center of the TARDIS control room. "Just a few more seconds... (DING!)… And we're coming up on Planet Lexicon! Brace yourselves, WordGirl, Captain Huggyface!"

Having said that, the Doctor pressed his finger to a button on the central console, and the TARDIS began to land. The entire room shook for a second, and then suddenly stopped as the TARDIS gave out a triumphant _CLUNK!_

"There we are! Planet Lexicon, present day!" said the Doctor proudly. "Now...to make sure the psychic translator is prepared...millions of people will be speaking millions of languages, and I believe you would prefer being able to understand them, correct?"

Both WordGirl and Susan nodded. "After all, I never did learn the Lexiconian language." Susan said.

"Perfect! So..." The Doctor said as he pressed some more buttons and peered at various screens... and then stood back up and continued with: "Doubly perfect! It'll be able to handle all the languages at once! Now, let's get this trip up and running, shall we?"

Nobody even needed to say yes, before the Doctor decided everyone was eager to see what lay beyond the doors. With a flick of a switch, the doors opened...and everyone got an eyeful of their destination.

The Doctor said: "Welcome to Planet Lexicon, everyone!" although anyone was hardly listening. They were focused on taking in the scene before them: A vast city full of gigantic towers of all sorts of colors, with blueish-green trees and plants of all sorts scattered around their bases. The sky, while mostly colored blue, had an orange tint to it that got stronger around the horizon, which reminded Susan of her native sky from Gallifrey. Two golden lines seemed to be drawn across the sky, crossing each other somewhere between the horizon and the top of the sky. Farther out into the sky, a purple object that resembled a moon was hanging near the intersection of the lines.

But what got Susan and WordGirl really excited wasn't those things, but rather the things that were moving. High in the sky, spaceships of all sorts darted to nearby landing zones. On the ground, monkeys of all colors swung through the trees, and freely interacted with all the various alien species that walked in the streets and sidewalks in between the buildings and plants. And, perhaps most amazing of all, most of the human-shaped people in this scene flew in seemingly pre-determined patterns, leaving brightly-colored trails much like those WordGirl leaves behind when she flies!

Captain Huggyface put his hand on WordGirl's shoulder, and screeched softly into her ear.

**Ummm…what did he say?**

"He said: 'Welcome home', I think." said the Doctor.

And so the four of them stood in the doorway to the TARDIS, admiring the scenery; Huggy and the Doctor see familiar sights, while WordGirl and Susan see them for the very first time, and all look on in awe….

…

…

….awe which is suddenly interrupted when hundreds of flying people and flying vehicles zip right on past them, creating a massive gust of wind that irritated their eyes!

"Aah!" Susan shouted in surprise, "What was that?"

Suddenly, a flying man dressed in a similar style of clothing as WordGirl (cape, helmet, and even the star-insignia), but colored dark blue, stopped right in front of the TARDIS entrance and asked: "What do you mean, 'what was that'? Don't tell me you haven't heard the news!"

"What news?" asked the Doctor, after he cleared some dust out of his throat.

"And how did you hear me over all that noise?" Susan asked immediately afterwards.

The blue-clothed man flew back a few inches, surprised at the question…but then said: "Oh, you're visitors; that explains a lot! Well, I heard you with my Lexiconian hearing, and the news is that the Great Explorer is returning from outer space! Hurry up and you may get to see his ship land!" Then, obviously not wanting to waste any more time, he zipped off in the general direction of the flying traffic.

"Hm! It seems as though the entirety of Lexiconian society is excited about this 'Great explorer' or whatever that was," said the Doctor as he watched the man fly off. He then put his hand to his chin...and said: "Well, If we stay in the back of the crowd, I'm sure it won't hurt to join him."

"Great! Well, find something to hold on to!" said WordGirl, as she floated outside the TARDIS (which she noticed now looked like a red-and-yellow pillar), picked it up by the door frame, and carefully carried it in the direction of the flying traffic!

*(one scene transition later)*

After a considerable amount of flying, WordGirl eventually saw a large crowd of airborne Lexiconians forming on the edge of the city, just behind a glittering wall of energy. WordGirl found an open space, then trained her eyes towards where everyone else was looking, as did the people in the TARDIS underneath her...which at first looked like a rather boring expanse of red sand separating the cities of Lexicon...

...and then, in a bright flash of light, a blue spaceship with an orange star-shaped decoration (shaped exactly like the one that made up WordGirl's Super-Secret Spaceship Hideout) appeared just outside the wall, and floated down onto the red ground. Four spikes appeared out of the bottom of the ship, which supported the ship when it touched down. Finally, a ramp opened up on the back, and out stepped a large, imposing figure with a blue Lexiconian body-suit, an orange cape, a bald head, and a large metal box in his hand.

"Ah, good to be back in my familiar society once again!" said the man as he approached the dome, as everyone gazed intently at him...

…. "And," he continued, "Just in case any of you doubt it's really me, allow me to say this: A society is a group of people who frequently interact with each other, or a social grouping within a specific area who live by certain rules, or a combination of both. Here, on Planet Lexicon, the people have a very specific way of living and interacting with one another that can be best summarized with the word 'society'!"

Within seconds, everyone was cheering. As the excited crowd parted to allow him and the box he carried to enter (by just passing through the wall, leaving a few ripples), the Doctor raised his eyebrows, and said: "I don't know this 'Great Explorer' or what he's done, other than define 'society', but everyone else seems to think he's a hero!"

To answer that question, WordGirl tuned her super-hearing towards the crowd...and soon heard: "Finally, a Lexiconian has traveled out into space without a monkey doing it for him!"

She quickly told the Doctor, who said: "What? This isn't the great age of Lexiconian exploration?"

Suddenly, WordGirl heard one saying "No doubt about it! Astellakar has brought Planet Lexicon into a new age!" Surprised, she said out loud: "Wait...the Great Explorer is Astellakar? Didn't you say he was your tutor?"

Surprisingly, the one everyone was cheering at suddenly looked in their general direction... and flew over to them, and asked: "Little one; is that a TARDIS, by any chance?"

Everyone was a little hesitant to answer, but then the large flying figure figured it out after a quick glance: "Never mind, I can see that it is bigger on the inside from here. Well, I have taught language skills to some of the Time Lords who visited this planet... They all came eager to learn, and left with enough skill to be considered a language scholar, and teaching that well should be a great source of pride for me... but my greater pride was in getting to teach the one called Theta Sigma. In all my life, there was never a being of any race so dedicated to a life of good than the Time Lord called Theta Sigma. Plus, he was the one who inspired me to attempt this journey in the first place! And provided me a lot of the materials I needed to do so!"

"And," he added as he started to back off, "Before you ask me how I did it, like the little knowledge-seeking scholars I know you all are, I shall reveal my secrets later...after I have settled back into my old home… but until then, farewell!" And with that, he gripped the box in his hand a little tighter, and zipped off towards the inner city.

…..

A little while later, the crowd dispersed, and the Doctor said: "He remembers...WordGirl, Susan, I used to call myself 'Theta Sigma' when I was studying at the Gallifreyan academy, before I became the Doctor."

"...if so, Grandfather, he remembers you fondly." said Susan with a smile... which disappeared as she asked: "We're not leaving now, are we?"

"Nonsense! I was hiding behind you the whole time, Susan! He didn't see me at all, and thus _can't_ report me to the Time Lords! Most of the other Lexiconians shouldn't recognize me either, so as long as we don't act too suspiciously, we should be perfectly safe here!"

Glad to hear him opening up, WordGirl set the red-pillar-shaped TARDIS down and let everyone exit...and then whispered to them: "_Anyone mind explaining why all of this planet's society is making such a big deal out of Astellakar being an astronaut?_"

"...Captain Huggyface, didn't you tell WordGirl about her own planet?" The Doctor asked the monkey, who responded with a series of screeches.

**Anyone mind translating?**

"He said that WordGirl was so focused with her new life on Earth, she never really asked that much beyond what related to her." Susan told the Narrator. "Plus, quite a few of his memories have faded over the years..."

After a pause to gather his thoughts, the Doctor said: "Well, there's no time like the present! I'm pretty curious myself as to how WordGirl came to be on Planet Earth, without it being in the Lexiconian exploration age...Come on in, and I'll explain..."

*(one scene transition later)*

"You see, there's an asteroid belt near planet Lexicon...composed entirely of the element the rest of the universe has started calling 'Lexonite.' Any humanoid Lexiconian that approaches it is weakened, both physically and intellectually, and eventually it starts to actually hurt them. Most Lexiconians cannot make it through the Lexonite zone without getting seriously damaged."

"I got that much, Doctor – a meteor landed on Earth a few years back, made out of Lexonite. Caused me a lot of trouble; it made me mispronounce words and stumble around. The villains almost had the opportunity to remake Earth's society in their image, if I didn't find a way to get away from the Lexonite and stop them."

"Ah, well then we need not dwell on that subject for that long. Still, its effects can penetrate even the thickest of their spaceships, which means they cannot go out into space. The Lexonite zone is even the reason these cities have these energy domes surrounding them; at this time of year, Lexicon is really close to the Lexonite zone, and the energies start affecting people down here...the domes keep the energy out. Now before you ask, why don't they just put similar stuff around their ships, well this energy is designed to only handle small doses of Lexonite radiation."

When WordGirl nodded in understanding, the Doctor continued: "But then, who flies the spaceships? Well someone has to! Otherwise, the Lexiconians' sole contact with the outside universe would be people who happened to wander by their planet, who hopefully weren't alien invaders!"

"That's where the monkeys come in: They're immune to the Lexonite, and can thus fly the spaceships! They go out and gather information about the outside, which is then brought back to Lexicon to be put in the massive libraries. And in return, the monkeys participate as much in Lexiconian society as do the Lexiconians themselves!"

"But I believe you would prefer to see some of this for yourselves, won't you?" The Doctor asked WordGirl and Susan, who both nodded in approval.

Captain Huggyface screeched a little, which WordGirl then translated as: "And Huggy apparently wants to see how much has changed since he left all those years ago, so what are we waiting for?"

**Later, the Doctor led the group to a massive building in the center of town...**

"I guess we were waiting for that." said the Doctor with a chuckle. "Now, Are you sure this is the right place, Captain Huggyface?"

Huggy gave a screech, and WordGirl followed it up with: "So, this is the city's 'beginner's library' then..."

The building they were in front of was a giant red-and-orange dome, with so many doors lining the walls. Out of these doors, multicolored Lexiconians were flying out and in, with many items in their hands. Two towers sprouted out of the top of the building, with three smaller towers branching out of them. In all, the building was several times the size of the tallest skyscraper in Fair City, and just as many times as wide.

Everyone felt so insignificant next to it...but then a green-clothed flying bystander saw them, and floated down to them to ask: "Hey, why are you fellows here, of all places? This is the beginner's library, for toddlers and not-so-intelligent aliens! You guys look like the kind of people who would be looking at more advanced knowledge...after all, you are scholars, right?"

The Doctor looked uneasy, and not the kind of uneasy WordGirl saw him get when he raised his fears about the Time Lords...this was embarrassment. WordGirl quickly guessed what the embarrassment was about, and constructed a response to the Lexiconian according to her guess:

"Um, by 'scholar', which definition are you talking about: one who attends school or studies with a teacher, a student; a specialist in a particular branch of study, a distinguished academic; or a person who is highly educated?"

The green-clothed Lexiconian said: "Well, I guess I could mean all of the above..."

"Well, all of those definitions accept that people like to learn, so we are all scholars! We're just here because these guys are taking a tour of the planet, and they're 'starting at the beginning' you might say. Besides, who's to say adults can't enjoy kid stuff?"

"...I see. Seems that I shouldn't have been so quick to judge. Well, good luck to you all!" the Lexiconian said as he waved and flew away.

"Excellent work, WordGirl!" commented the Doctor, "Lexiconians do tend to look down on people with less intelligence then they have. It's a minor matter, to be sure...but you seem well aware of what works and doesn't work on this world!"

WordGirl blushed, and said: "Well, I saw the way Astellakar won the entire crowd over by defining 'society,' and I figured something like that might work..."

"Well, If you ever decide to move back here, instead of staying on Earth, you would probably be right at home." the Doctor said, not thinking too much into what he was saying.

For WordGirl, however, the comment sent her deep in thought: This should be her real home, yet she has always lived on Earth as far as she can remember! She had family on Earth: Sally, Tim, T.J., and Bampy! she had friends: Violet, Scoops, Tobey...and all the citizens that looked up to her for protection! She couldn't just turn her back on them...could she?

Always, Lexicon to her had been just a few pictures, a few descriptive words, a story from Captain Huggyface. But in the few minutes she had spent actually _on_ this faraway world, she has interacted with its society more or less like she had been there all her life!

After all, she has so far had less trouble explaining her presence to the locals, than she had coming up with an excuse as to why she had to leave her friends and change into WordGirl!

Life here would be a wonderful experience...but could she really give up her friends on Earth for it? She has always said 'no, Earth comes first', but how long before she starts...

Suddenly, Susan interrupted her train of thought by saying: "Um, Becky? WordGirl? Are we going into the library or not?"

WordGirl nodded, embarrassed, and they all walked through the massive doors...

…...

…...

The Doctor and Huggyface looked on in remembrance, while WordGirl and Susan looked on in awe.

Everywhere they looked there were books, books, and more books. Shelf upon shelf upon shelf was lined with books arranged in carefully-considered patterns. The bookshelves stretched all the way up to the ceiling, which was itself amazingly tall. There were Lexiconians flying to and fro among the shelves, and people from other worlds got around on floating platforms they apparently rented at a nearby service desk. As for the books themselves, WordGirl quickly guessed they were color-coded according to what type of book it was; whether it was a novel, a picture-book, a schoolbook, a play, or something else!

WordGirl and Susan took it all in, admiring the sheer size of this wealth of knowledge before them...

….when another bystander, this time a blue-clothed female with a wider-than-usual cape, walked up to them and said: "Impressed, off-worlders? Wait till you get to the other sections; This is just the literature from that Earth-planet!"

"What?" Susan exclaimed in disbelief, "This _one room_ is bigger than pretty much any library I've ever seen...and you're telling me all this stuff is just from Earth?"

"Well, humans haven't been around as long as many of the other aliens in the universe. I mean, they haven't even developed space travel yet! Of course their writings only take up one room!"

"Plus," the Lexiconian went on, "their languages are so easy to learn, they're usually the first alien languages our little children learn! Why, I heard that some alien societies have started using the earthly languages that we taught them as a universal language to communicate between themselves, they're so easy to learn!"

WordGirl grew a little indignant, after having the languages she grew up with put down upon like that; "Hey, There's nothing wrong with Earth's languages!"

"I never said there was, child! In fact, I personally think that Earth is one of the more fascinating planets out there! The things written about them, and _by_ them, I will never consider the time I spent reading those things wasted! For such a young species, with such simple languages, they have a very rich and interesting history, culture, and livelihood! And I believe that when they start heading out towards the stars, they'll join the most advanced of scholars out there in the universe, and become something that will amaze us all!"

…..

… "You weren't insulting those languages at all? Well, thank you! I guess I share your opinion about Earth, miss..."

"Just call me Librarian, child; everyone does. Speaking of which...if you ever need help finding anything, you know where to find me!" And with that, the Librarian flew off.

WordGirl watched her go, thinking to herself out loud: "Well, the people here don't seem that bad..."

The Doctor, however, had already rented a floating platform and beckoned Susan and Huggy onto it; "Well if we're ready to go, I'm in the mood for some Menoptran poetry. I've never actually been to their home planet, Vortis, myself; but I hear the Menoptrans have a peaceful society and marvelous poets, and that's good enough for the moment!"

*(one scene transition later)*

WordGirl, Susan, Captain Huggyface, and the Doctor relaxed on one of the balconies (which also doubled as secondary entrances and exits for fliers) each with a book from an alien civilization in their hands...

When suddenly, everyone heard a loud noise! They glanced over the cityscape...and found that a massive fire had broken out in the middle of town!

"Oh no! Fire! I've got to help! WOOOORRRD U-" WordGirl began to say, but the Doctor cut her off:

"Not so fast, WordGirl – everyone here, scholars that they are, has all your powers, if not stronger versions of them! They can handle themselves in an emergency...In fact, there's the emergency crew on their way right now!"

The Doctor pointed up toward the sky, and WordGirl looked to see a dozen white-clothed Lexiconians flying through the air at top speed straight towards the blaze!

"Now watch as professional heroes do their job." The Doctor said calmly as everyone looked on, watched as the white emergency workers flew towards their goal...

….and then got knocked out of the sky by a black streak of...something flying! All the white rescuers fell to the ground, while the black flier took up position directly above the fire! Several more streaks of light flew towards the black flier...but they all plummeted to the ground before they got anywhere near him!

By the time around twenty Lexiconians had inexplicably fallen, WordGirl had managed to activate her super-vision (a trick she had recently learned) to zoom in on the scene and take a good look at this strange black flier...

Whoever this person was, he or she was covered in black metallic armor that obscured every part of his/her body. There was a human-like shape to it, except there were black claws where hands would have been, there were three horns coming out of the top of the helmet, and there were beetle-like wing cases on the back (which were currently open, revealing a strange alien jetpack that had a flame trail coming out of it). On the chest, there was a large orange glowing crystal.

"That crystal...Lexonite?" WordGirl said to herself as she observed that last detail.

Before anyone could answer, however, a massive booming voice echoed all throughout the city:

"SO-CALLED SCHOLARS OF PLANET LEXICON! BEHOLD THE END OF YOUR SOCIETY! I AM THE _ANTI-LITERATE_! AND WHEN I'M FINISHED..."

"..._Nothing shall remain_." his pitch lowered in a menacing manner, but WordGirl and her friends still heard it that far away.

**Who is this mysterious stranger? Does the name he gave himself, the Anti-Literate, mean anything for Lexicon's scholars? And if he's up to no good, can WordGirl save the society she is just now starting to learn about, the home she never knew?**

**For these answers and more, tune in to the next installment of this amazing, colossal adventure of WORDGIRL and DOCTOR WHO!**

* * *

NEXT EPISODE:

**THE ANTI-LITERATE**

* * *

_Out of a white void steps a well-dressed, white-haired old man..._

Hello! I'm the Doctor! The original, you might say! And welcome to another edition of 'The Doctor's World!'

_An image of space appears..._

The first thing one must know about Outer Space, when traveling through it like I do, is that it's big. Very, very big. The best word to describe precisely _how_ big it is, is 'infinite.'

Infinite means 'never ending, limitless or endless in space, extent or size. Impossible to measure or calculate.'

When you look out of a telescope on planet Earth, the massive number of stars you see in the sky are only the tiniest fraction of how many are actually out there! And when your species starts flying out among the stars, no matter how hard you try or how far you go, you will _never_ be able to see all there is to see!

For me, this is a good thing: It means I will never, _ever_ get bored!

Back to the show!

* * *

Assuming this silly old author can get his act together and update normally!

The least I can do is know that you all are still enjoying my writing, infrequent as it is.


	3. The Anti-Literate

Disclaimer: I do not own WordGirl or Doctor Who, properties of PBS and BBC respectively.

Sorry for the lack of updates, but…college…ugh.

Plus, I waited for Man of Steel to come out for inspiration...but we're not here to talk about that movie, we're here to enjoy my story!

* * *

WordGirl and Doctor Who in…

THE ANTI-LITERATE!

**Narrator: Listen for the words 'Literate' and 'Spectacle.'**

* * *

**When we last saw WordGirl and her friends, they had just arrived on Planet Lexicon, intending to see the sights…but no sooner did they settle down to become literate in alien culture, than the city was attacked by someone calling himself 'The Anti-Literate!' Right off the bat, he appears to be preventing Lexiconian rescue-workers from helping those trapped inside a burning building!**

"_There..._" the deep voice of the armored 'Anti-Literate' echoed throughout the city; "_Now, I can work in peace._" And with that, he floated down into the burning building, punching in a wall to enter... and then disappeared. More white streaks – belonging to rescue-workers – attempted to enter the building, but no sooner did they approach than they fell out of the sky again.

WordGirl looked on with utter horror at what was going on. "Doctor, are you seeing this?"

"Yes indeed, WordGirl... a grim spectacle," said the Doctor as he peered through a spyglass he pulled out of his coat, "And it pains me to say that none of us can get involved."

"What?!" WordGirl asked in disbelief: "Is this more about the Time Lords? Come on, we've got to do _something_!"

"I know! But, even if I acted through persons that could deny any connection to me or Susan, such as yourself, I'm sorry to say that you won't stand a chance against this so-called Anti-Literate! You saw what he did to those rescuers? That jewel on his chest... I don't know how he got that on the planet surface unnoticed, but that was obviously a piece of Lexonite! Your superpowers – your sole advantages, will be useless against the likes of that villain!"

WordGirl, accepting that the Doctor had a point, clenched her fist in frustration...but then, her Lexiconian brain suddenly fired into action, and she got an idea!

"Doctor, my powers aren't my sole advantage! I have the advantages _all_ Lexiconians possess... including super-intelligence! If we can't take the Anti-Literate on in a straight-up fight..."

"Then we just approach the problem from a different angle!" exclaimed Susan, finishing WordGirl's sentence.

"Exactly...Huggy, Doctor, Susan, let's all get back to the TARDIS. I have a plan..."

*(one scene transition later)*

The Anti-Literate laughed as he searched through every storage space within the building, grabbing small pieces of machinery and stuffing them into his armor. "_Heh heh heh... I made quite a spectacle out there. By now, all of the evil literate ones of Planet Lexicon will know their doom approaches, and they will feel the fear and pain that they-_"

"HEY! ANTI-LITERATE! YOU BIG UGLY HELMET HEAD!" a small voice shouted from outside, interrupting his thoughts.

"_What...who..._" He angrily stomped to the nearest window, and shouted: "_WHO DARES?"_

No sooner did he ask, however, than he got a response: "I DARE! I AM WORDGIRL, AND I'M HERE TO STOP YOU, AND SAVE EVERYONE IN THAT BUILDING!"

The Anti-Literate turned towards the voice's source...and as he saw that his challenger was a small child in a red suit, flying a considerable distance above the ground, his anger changed to disbelief.

Then, the child followed up her challenge with: "Sorry about the insult, but I had to get your attention _somehow_!"

The Anti-Literate couldn't hold it in any longer."_HA HA HA! A child? You think you can defy the fate that awaits all Lexiconians?_"

"Well, I can try... After all, this _is_ my home planet you seem to be threatening. And no one else seems to be trying to stop you, so..."

"_That's because there are none who __can_!_ I am the punishment that all of Lexicon deserves, and cannot be stopped!... But, since you are a child, and cannot grasp this concept at all, I will allow you the chance to fight me._"

And with that, the Anti-Literate closed a metal flap on his chest, obscuring the Lexonite from view... as he said to himself: _"Besides, it will be a real spectacle to see me be so merciless to a child...they will fear me even more, and that's what I'm here for."_

And with that, the Anti-Literate opened up the 'wing' cases on his back, revealing his jetpack, which started to glow. Then, he twitched his arms a little, and massive metal objects swung forward...transforming his claw-hands into even bigger claws, this time resembling those on a crab! Thus altered, the Anti-Literate launched himself upwards, straight towards WordGirl...

...who ducked when he just about reached her, causing him to fly right over her, allowing her to grab his legs and start spinning him around in the air!

"W_hoouuhhuuuuhhuuuhhh...Let me go, you little-!_" the Anti-Literate shouted, very dizzy.

But before he could finish his sentence, WordGirl said: "OK!" and let go...sending him hurtling off into the sky, even farther away from the ground, at which point WordGirl zipped on after him.

**Meanwhile, on the ground...**

The Doctor, Susan and Captain Huggyface looked up into the sky, and saw that the fight had started. "Quickly now – we don't know how long we have before he gets wise to our plan!" shouted the Doctor, as they ran towards the burning building.

Then, they saw what they were looking for: several of the white-clothed Lexiconian rescue-workers, still dazed from the Anti-Literate's Lexonite attack. All of them moaned in pain.

"How come they haven't recovered, Grandfather?" Susan asked, to this response from the Doctor: "Well, a fall from a tremendous height _after_ a Lexonite exposure will do that to you, I suppose...we're lucky they didn't come to any more harm than they have! Now hurry!"

So, they all got to work. Susan focused on one well-built man, pressing her hand against his chest in an attempt to get his breathing back to normal. In a few minutes, he started coughing, and after asking a few questions, (to which Susan responded: "No time, you're still needed up there!") zipped up to do his job.

Captain Huggyface did something similar to another such worker...except he started slapping the guy around, who said "OK, OK, I'll stop lying down on the job." when he woke up, before he took to the air.

The Doctor, meanwhile, started rubbing his ring (which soon started glowing) against the forehead of the one he was helping, saying to himself: "Hopefully the Metebelis crystal should get his brain working at – ah!" he exclaimed as he felt a jolt, which shocked the Lexiconian back to consciousness. The first thing he noticed was the burning building, and he flew right back up again.

With these three conscious again, the Doctor and friends moved on to the next three...

**Back up in the air...**

The Anti-Literate's frustration was growing by the minute. Every time he swung at WordGirl with his massive claws, she simply dodged. And the last time he kicked at her, she twisted her body around and threw him away by his leg. And this was a child – one he believed would be a pushover, who he would effortlessly defeat and thus strike terror into the hearts of the Lexiconians!

Thinking of trying something new, he grabbed the pointy spire on top of a nearby building, ripped it clean off, and swung it at her like it was a giant club...but with one punch, she shattered the makeshift weapon the instant it reached her!

Then, the Anti-Literate saw her do something strange: she used her Lexiconian speed to grab all the resulting debris before it hit the ground, and threw it all at him as projectiles! Sure, he was able to block them all, but the reason behind her doing so eluded him...for a brief moment.

"_Worried about the people those rocks might have fallen on?_"

"Well, yeah...I am here to keep you from harming anyone-"

"_Well you shouldn't!_" shouted the Anti-Literate; "_Every single being on this planet deserves what I bring! Every single living thing on this planet is a literate being, and that means they are all evil!_"

"...Wait...What?" WordGirl asked in disbelief. "I think you're confused here, mister Anti-Literate! 'Literate' doesn't mean evil, it means 'able to read and write' or 'well-educated in some particular area of study'! In the case of the Lexiconians, it means they know a lot about the languages of the universe, and thus are literate in that area!"

"_I know...and that is why they are evil! And their evil is why I am their enemy, the Anti-Literate!_"

WordGirl continued to stare at him in disbelief. "What you're saying doesn't make any sense!"

"_You wouldn't understand. You're one of __them_. _And soon, you, and all of Lexicon, will pay for your crimes against the universe...that burning building back there is a taste of what is to come!_"

WordGirl glared at him angrily... then took a close look at the building directly behind the Anti-Literate and laughed: "What burning building?"

Confused, the Anti-Literate turned around... to see white-clothed rescue-workers breathing ice all over the building, cooling it off! At the same time, others were dashing inside and outside the building at lightning-speed, pulling helpless victims out of the blaze!

"_What? No! This cannot be!_"

"Oh yes it can, Anti-Literate. You made quite a spectacle down there, but now it's all over! Once those guys are done there, they'll be coming for you!"

"..._We'll see about that!_" the Anti-Literate shouted angrily, as the red eyepiece of his helmet started to glow...

And the instant he started firing a heat-ray from that eyepiece, WordGirl had already zipped in front and blocked it with a blast of ice-breath! She had instantly recognized that move as the type Miss Power, an alien with all the Lexiconian powers (except she derived her powers from bullying others) used to defeat her by catching her off-guard, but now she was prepared for something like that.

"_Grrah...That's it! You're finished, WordGirl!_" And with that, the Anti-Literate moved his claws towards his chest, folded back the big claws to reveal the old, smaller claws, and began to open the flaps on his chest...

...prompting WordGirl to shove him away with all the strength she could muster before the Lexonite affected her that much. Luckily, after he was sent flying well over a hundred feet, she was able to recover after falling a similar distance.

The Anti-Literate, meanwhile, re-oriented himself and fully opened his chest-panel, once again exposing Lexonite to the surrounding area. In rage, he prepared to force his way to WordGirl and finally take her out of the picture...when he noticed that all the rescue-workers had joined her, and were whirling their arms to create miniature tornadoes, headed his way. As he blocked the wind-assault, he must have finally realized it wasn't worth it to stay around much longer.

"_YOU WIN THIS DAY, LEXICONIANS! BUT YOU CANNOT STOP ME COMPLETELY! THIS PLANET WILL BE A SMOKING RUIN BY THE TIME I'M DONE!_" And after shouting that out, the Anti-Literate turned around and set his jetpack to its highest level, leaving only a black streak behind him.

As WordGirl watched him go, she felt disgust at what he tried to commit, confusion regarding the things he said...and disappointment that he left before she could deliver a snappy comeback! "Aw, and I had at least three witty responses to give him!"

"Oh, I think you've done enough, child...more than enough!" said a female rescue-worker, as she patted WordGirl on the shoulder. "The people in that building, they will all owe you so much after today...I shudder to think of what could happened had you not distracted that monster!"

"...Monster?" asked one of the other white-clothed rescuers.

"Given what we know of him, and what he tried to do, I can safely say that 'monster' is one of the best words to describe him...assuming one uses the 'threatening force' or 'someone who is extraordinarily ugly, evil, or both' definitions."

"Good point." said WordGirl; "However, soon all of Lexicon will know of his existence, and we won't be such an easy target next time."

The female rescue-worker nodded, and then said: "Meaning _we_ should be ready as well. Let's go home – you can handle the reporters, WordGirl!"

Before WordGirl could say anything, another of the rescuers moaned: "Aww, Seycurea, why can't _I _do it?"

"It's _her_ fifteen minutes of fame, as the earthlings would say. I say, let her enjoy them." Then, after giving a sincere smile to WordGirl, Seycurea flew off, taking the rest of her group with her.

WordGirl reflected on her words for a minute ("She basically told me to enjoy the reporters...and there was no sarcasm in that?") before flying back to where she left the Doctor's TARDIS...

*(one scene transition later)*

And she found the Doctor hiding behind Susan and Captain Huggyface, desperately trying to avoid several monkeys and flying Lexiconians, all with futuristic notepads and cameras.

"You don't understand! I simply cannot be seen by every literate being on Lexicon!"

"Oh, please!" pleaded one of the reporters: "All of Lexicon will want close details on this spectacle, and you're the only ones we can find! I truly hate to put myself up in your personal space like this, but otherwise our readers won't find our story complete!"

"We could avoid mentioning your name in the story! Would that work?"

"No, I'm afraid it wouldn't," said Susan. "Why not ask WordGirl, she's the one who came up with the whole plan!"

WordGirl took that as a cue: "Yeah, I am right here after all!"

Instantly, all the reporters looked at her, and moved (or floated) over to her as one of the monkeys said (in monkey-screeches): "Well, talking to a Lexiconian will make things all the easier...So, you're WordGirl, right? The one who challenged the so-called 'Anti-Literate' to a fight?"

**Phew...got those subtitles in just in time...**

"Well, yes... What would you guys like to know?"

"First, I'll ask if you want to talk anywhere other than here, if you want to."

"Hmmm...here's fine."

"Right then...How about you start from the beginning, WordGirl? Where were you when this all started?"

"Well, I was at the library over there, just having myself an easy read, when the whole spectacle started to unfold before me...and by 'spectacle,' I mean the 'performance or display that leaves a massive impact when seen' definition, not the fancy word for reading-glasses."

"It's OK, we knew what you meant." said one of the reporters, and the interview continued...

**So, WordGirl described her experiences up in the air, while leaving a few details out...**

"You don't mind that, right? Me leaving a few details out?"

"Oh it's perfectly acceptable! You have a private life, and we're not here to intrude on your private life if you don't want us to."

"However," said a reporter-monkey, "There is one question that still haunts my mind...why did you call yourself 'WordGirl'? It seems like a pretty simple name someone like yourself."

"Oh...I was...well, I got the idea from him calling himself the 'Anti-Literate' and all. If he hated literate people so much, I thought it would be poetic to be defeated by someone who stood for truth, justice, and becoming well-educated about things... like words, especially since us Lexiconians are all about words!... I guess I went with WordGirl because I was on a little bit of a time crunch."

"I see...Well, if you ever want a different name, don't hesitate to try something new – after all, that old Earthling once said: 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.' I wish I could remember which earthling it was..."

"That's William Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet!" WordGirl exclaimed, instantly recognizing the phrase from Juliet's famous 'wherefore art thou Romeo' monologue. Romeo and Juliet was her favorite of all the Shakespeare plays, especially since she was involved in one of the strangest performances of that play ever: She and Violet co-starred as twin Juliets, while her then-crush Scoops played as the wall!

"Ah, that's the one! Good to know someone shares my tastes in off-world literature!" said the reporter with a smile.

Then, another asked: "How about 'The Doctor?' How does that sound for a name?"

WordGirl expressed confusion at the reporter's choice, and the Doctor expressed shock...until the reporter explained himself: "In some languages, the word 'doctor' means 'healer'. Your actions allowed everyone trapped in that building to get the healing they needed, so that technically makes you a healer. In some languages, the word 'doctor' means 'wise or skilled one', which can easily describe you after what we've seen and heard from you. In other languages still, like the language of the Gamma Forest, the word 'doctor' means 'mighty warrior', and after seeing you hold your own on someone who is bigger, and likely stronger and faster, than you, I can safely say you're a skilled fighter."

"So," WordGirl said, summarizing: "if I called myself something like 'The Little Doctor,' It would describe me no matter what language I was speaking in. I can see why you chose that! But, I think I'll stick with WordGirl for now."

*(one scene transition later)*

Minutes later, WordGirl and the Doctor watched the reporters leave, with the monkeys riding on the humanoids' backs. WordGirl had given them all the details on the encounter she just had that she was willing to share, and they were intent on turning the information into a story to give to the people of Planet Lexicon.

But WordGirl had gotten something out of the interview as well: "You know...I really enjoyed that!"

"Well, Lexiconians are the kind who enjoy a good conversation," said the Doctor, "and so the news-reporters of this planet take that into account...they're very rarely up-in-your-face like the press on Earth. They make sure the person they're interviewing is comfortable, and knows what he or she is talking about (which they usually do). I would have joined in if the Time Lords who come to Lexicon weren't likely to be reading this sort of news."

**Makes you feel right at home, doesn't it, WordGirl?**

"...yeah..." WordGirl said to the Narrator. And she agreed. For the past few hours, she had not felt like an outsider even though she technically was one. She actually felt like a Lexiconian.

Just then, the Doctor asked: "Well then, back to the grand tour of Lexicon! Where to next?"

"Where else? After the Anti-Literate!" said WordGirl quite suddenly, and to the Doctor's shock.

"What? But – WordGirl! He's-"

"Incredibly powerful and dangerous, and I only beat him that one time because I got lucky, probably won't defeat him the same way twice? Yeah, I know that. And no, I'm not letting the spectacle I made out there go to my head; that's something the ten-year-old me would have happen."

"You see," she said, looking at everyone (especially Captain Huggyface), "Even though I didn't grow up here, this is still the 'home I never had'! And I should do all I can to protect it!"

WordGirl could see the Doctor looking for a new objection to going after that villain, and a few seconds later, he did: "But there are professionals here to do just that! You've given the Lexiconians the time they need to prepare – he won't be able to strike again without being stopped!"

"Oh, I don't know...he caught everyone off-guard that first time...and everyone had super-hearing!"

The Doctor reluctantly nodded...and then said: "Still: We cannot become too involved. We are time-travelers, and cannot alter the times we visit too much, or the worlds we left behind...possibly even the worlds that created us, might never exist! If we become part of the events here, we risk utterly destroying Lexicon's future!"

Captain Huggyface screeched angrily here, and WordGirl translated: "He said 'The Anti-Literate will destroy Lexicon's future if he has his way!' And I agree with him!"

"Besides!" Susan said, "What if we're already part of the events here? Then our _leaving things alone_ might cause problems, not our interference!"

"Doctor, please!" pleaded WordGirl, training her quivering eyes on the Doctor...

...and finally he said: "Oh, very well...But Susan and I cannot be part of this! We'll have to leave early if things start to heat up... and if it takes you longer to stop the Anti-Literate, you'll have to find alternate means of getting home, because we will leave in the TARDIS."

**But last episode, you said Lexiconians can't use spaceships!**

It didn't take the Doctor long to come up with an answer: "But Astellakar did! If he shared his secrets with WordGirl, she and Captain Huggyface could leave all by themselves!"

"And with her being famous, she could very easily convince him to help!" interjected Susan.

**Well...I think that'll work!**

"Then we have no time to lose!" exclaimed WordGirl, as they all rushed off to try to find Astellakar...

...unaware that a shadowy figure was watching them the whole time! As they left, he whispered to himself: "I can't let them interfere..."

**But will WordGirl be able to convince Astellakar to help them? Will the Anti-Literate catch them by surprise yet again, and lead to a shocking ending?**

**All these answers and more on the next spectacle of the adventures of WORDGIRL!**

* * *

NEXT EPISODE:

**THE TRIAL OF CAPTAIN HUGGYFACE**

* * *

_Out of a white void steps a well-dressed, white-haired old man..._

"Hello! I'm the Doctor! The original, you might say! And welcome to another edition of 'The Doctor's World'!

All throughout my life, I have travelled to several different times and places...and as a time-traveler, I must make sure I never cause a paradox."

_Someone off-screen taps the Doctor on the shoulder, he apparently doesn't notice_...

"What's a paradox, you might ask? Well, it's a little more complicated than what you usually are exposed to, but the word itself means 'a seemingly false statement or one that apparently contradicts itself, but may indeed be correct if explained.'

An example of a paradoxical statement is 'you can save money by spending it,' or 'I am nobody' or 'be cruel to be kind'. None of those statements match up at first glance, but if phrased in a different way, or interpreted, they can actually make sense!"

_Someone off-screen taps the Doctor on the shoulder, he apparently doesn't notice_...

"Now, a time paradox happens when contradictory events happen at the same time, like someone turning left and turning right all at once! When time travelling, one must take special care to not alter history so that a paradox will ensue...or in trying to figure out which event happens at what time, the universe might unravel itself!

_Someone off-screen taps the Doctor on the shoulder...and this time he notices._

"What do you want?"

"Doctor, would you consider this a paradox...or a 'Pair Of Docs'?"

_The asker of the question, the Fourth Doctor, grins..._

"...Oh dear...ummm...(_pushes his future self off-screen_) back to the show!"

* * *

LOL Tom Baker u so crazy...

See you sometime soon, hopefully before the summer ends!


	4. The Trial of Captain Huggyface

Disclaimer: I do not own WordGirl (property of PBS and Dorothea Gilliam) or Doctor Who (BBC and whoever is running the show at the time, like Steven Moffat), but I do own the idea to cross them over like this.

* * *

WordGirl and Doctor Who in...

THE TRIAL OF CAPTAIN HUGGYFACE!

**Narrator: Listen for the words 'Arbiter' and 'Endanger'.**

* * *

**When we last saw WordGirl and company, they had just saved a bunch of Lexiconians from the mysterious villain known as the Anti-Literate. And despite protests from the Doctor, who doesn't want to get involved, WordGirl is staying on her old homeworld until the Anti-Literate is no longer a threat...but the Anti-Literate's after them as well!**

"_Even if she couldn't see me, even if I had changed my voice, even if I know better than to fight her now...That WordGirl is just too clever!" _said a shadowy figure just out of sight, "_She outsmarted me – one whose brain should have been more developed than hers, and thus able to see such tricks coming!_"

"_Worse, on this wretched world news travels fast, so she'll be famous all across the world – so all she would need to do is __find__ me; then everyone would rush to her aid and overwhelm me! She really could endanger my plans! I must keep her busy somehow, so she doesn't get the chance! But how..."_

**Please don't get any ideas, please don't get any ideas, please don't-**

"_AHA! I've got an idea!"_

**NOOOO!**

"_All I need to do is get to Astellakar before they do. Then..._" Before he could say more, the Anti-Literate zipped off through the alleyways, completely undetected by every other Lexiconian.

**Oh, I hope WordGirl and her friends can get to Astellakar first...**

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! WordGirl rapped on Astellakar's door. "Hello? Is anyone in there?"

"Oh Grandfather, you don't suppose we got the wrong directions didn't you?" Susan asked the Doctor, to which he responded:

"Susan, information moves very fast on this planet when compared to places like Earth, so everyone knows where a celebrity like Astellakar lives. Besides, WordGirl's a celebrity as well; who'd want to give her wrong directions?"

Huggy took this opportunity to say something to the Time Lords in monkey-screeches, causing Susan to become worried: "He's right, Grandfather-"

"Huggy, even if that _was_ the Anti-Literate posing as a Lexiconian, there were others around who probably knew the truth! If he led WordGirl into danger he'd be found out faster than you could say 'Arbiter Radjusticer would like to see you!'"

Huggy nodded, reassured...but Susan had another question: "What do you mean, 'arbiter'?"

Since WordGirl was occupied with the door, the Doctor took it upon himself to define the word: "Susan, an 'arbiter' is a person chosen or appointed to judge or decide a disputed issue; an arbiter could help decide the outcome of a disagreement, or help people who are stuck in the middle of something decide on the best course of action!"

"In Radjusticer's case, I first met him when I first visited Lexicon, when he was apprentice to Lexicon's Arbiter of Law. A lot of time has passed in between then and now, so I think he's made the position by now..."

"Oh, I get it; so in his case, 'arbiter' is just a fancy word for judge!"

"Precisely, Susan! And once we find and defeat the Anti-Literate, it will be up to the Arbiter of Law to determine whether or not he's guilty of crimes against the Lexiconian people!"

"Assuming we can find him at all..."

"We can worry about that later, Susan. For now, we need to ensure that WordGirl will be able to do so without our help. And for that, we need Astellakar."

WordGirl had heard the whole conversation, but felt like there wasn't anything for her to contribute... until now. "Doctor, what's the Lexiconian standard for patience? I don't want to endanger any good impression I might have on him...but if we don't get his help soon-"

Suddenly a whooshing noise in her super-hearing interrupted WordGirl, causing her to jump. Captain Huggyface reacted to this by becoming defensive, while the Doctor tried to drag Susan to the nearest hiding spot, and they all looked around for the source of WordGirl's disturbance...

...and they all breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out to just be Astellakar, with some boxes cradled in his arm.

"I wouldn't want you to endanger anything, WordGirl...especially not first impressions." said Astellakar, looking directly at WordGirl. "Anyway, what do you need my help for?"

WordGirl thought for a second; she didn't want to break it to Astellakar that he wasn't the first Lexiconian to leave the planet... Then, she finally decided on what to say: "You've heard about the Anti-Literate's attack, right?"

When Astellakar nodded, she said: "Well, to cut to the chase, he said he'd be back...and now he knows we can fight, and he won't give us a chance to fight back when he strikes again. After all, he has a shard of Lexonite with him; but you know how to prevent Lexonite from harming us!"

"Ah, I see where you're going with this; you want me to go ahead and reveal my secret?" Astellakar asked WordGirl.

When she said 'yes,' Astellakar's face turned grim: "Well...problem is, if the Anti-Literate's as smart as he sounds, he'll likely find a way around it as soon as I reveal it! And if I reveal it to just you, who's to say you will be right where he is when he next attacks, and stop him before he does any damage? We Lexiconians may be able to fly as fast as sound travels, but nobody can be everywhere at once."

"But," he said just after WordGirl started to look disappointed, "If we do nothing, the Anti-Literate will have free rein to endanger our beloved world and its people, and will never be brought before the Arbiters to pay for his crimes. So, I have to do _something_, but the question is what? And how?... Tell you what, we'll talk about it some more once I've put these things from the store away, OK?"

"Sounds great!" said WordGirl, freshly invigorated, before she stepped aside for Astellakar to enter his house; "Don't take too long!"

Astellakar simply nodded, and approached the door. With a twitch of his eyes, the door opened automatically, and closed behind him when he entered.

"Well, it seems you've got everything under control here, WordGirl. I eh, trust you and Captain Huggyface will be able to take it from here?"

"Yes, Doctor." said WordGirl, "You can go if you want to."

"I don't _want_ to, WordGirl...but the longer I stay in this place during this time, the more I endanger the freedom enjoyed by me and Susan. So, I suppose it's time to say-"

Suddenly, two Lexiconians in white and black uniforms zipped up to them, and said: "Is there a monkey here who responds to the name 'Huggyface'?"

"Oh, of course! Right here!" said the Doctor, pointing to Huggy (who happily waved at them).

"We are the police, and we're here to take you before the Arbiter of Law."

And while everyone was startled, the two policemen grabbed Captain Huggyface with their super-speed. And just before they left, they said: "The rest of you are to come along and provide witness accounts. Do not be alarmed, you aren't the ones in trouble. However, the Arbiter cannot do his job unless he has as much information as he can get."

….

"WordGirl?" one of the police asked, "Are you...?"

"Oh, sorry...this is all too sudden...But I'll go. I assure you that Captain Huggyface has done no wrong."

"Good to hear you believe in him. Of course, you'll have to convince the Aribiter about that, but still. Now, you two...Time Lords, how would you prefer to travel to the courthouse?"

Susan was about to answer when the Doctor exclaimed: "I'm sorry, but I cannot be seen by the general Lexiconian public. And neither can my granddaughter. WordGirl should be witness enough for you, so I'll just be on my way-"

"Sorry sir, but that isn't an option." said the policeman that wasn't holding Huggy, who zipped in between the Doctor and the nearby TARDIS. "If you wish to remain anonymous-"

"Just shoving a mask onto my face won't conceal me from those who are looking for me!" the Doctor said indignantly. "They can see through any disguise in their quest to find me, this specific Time Lord – and when you're looking for a Time Lord you don't look for faces, because we can change those!"

"Sir, I understand your desire and I regret having to force myself upon you, but according to the law, refusing to provide potentially vital information to a criminal case is a very serious offense."

"ENDANGERING MY GRANDDAUGHTER IS A VERY SERIOUS OFFENSE!" the Doctor shouted. "I trust you know what endanger means, hm?"

"Yes sir. To 'endanger' means 'put someone or something at risk or in danger'."

"Yes! And if anything happens to me, Susan will be in very grave danger! That's why exposing me will endanger her!"

"Look," said the other policeman, "Figure out some way to testify without revealing yourself, but we really must go now."

"Hey, I can carry the TARDIS, _and_ handle the majority of the testimony, will that work?" asked WordGirl, to which the Doctor responded:

"...Hmmm...Oh, very well."

"Thank you. But keep your arm in the door, so he can't take off." said a policeman. Then, The Doctor and Susan stepped into the TARDIS, and WordGirl began to lift it up...

...when Astellakar stepped outside and said: "OK WordGirl, wha...at's going on here?"

"Sorry Astellakar," said WordGirl, "But Huggy's got some trouble with the law, apparently. As soon as we're done talking to the Arbiter, we'll be right back!"

"I understand...well, good luck!"

And with that said, both went their separate ways: WordGirl carried the TARDIS and followed the policemen, and Astellakar went back inside his home...

"_That was almost too easy. Astellakar, you have served your purpose, and now it is time for the Anti-Literate to strike again!_"

**Oh no!**

**I hope this whole law thing blows over quickly...**

"Ideally, it shouldn't have even started in the first place!" exclaimed the Doctor.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later." said a policeman. "We've been looking for Captain Huggyface for fourteen years now...He must have hitched a ride on your TARDIS claiming to be someone else. That, and his being a bit older, must be how it took so long for him to be found."

"And larger." snickered the other policeman, before he was scolded by his companion (the one who held Huggy in his arms): "Kienforzar! You endanger your standing as a policeman!"

"Sorry, Dyarrestir." Kienforzar said, embarrassed.

"Wait a second," WordGirl suddenly said: "Fourteen years?"

"Yeah, that's how long he's been missing." said Dyarrestir.

"What sort of crime did he commit back then?"

Instead of answering her question, the two policemen simply looked at her in disbelief!

"Seriously? Where have you _been_ all these years?" Kienforzar said before he turned back towards his destination.

WordGirl meanwhile, put her metaphorical thinking cap on: She knows Captain Huggyface all too well, and they've shared practically everything about each other. If there ever was a secret that he's been keeping from her, she'd have figured it out by now. So, to think that he committed a crime, and that was the reason he left, was completely alien to her...right?

Just then, Captain Huggyface screeched at Dyarrestir, and he said: "Oh very well, I'll tell you. You're the prime suspect in a kidnapping case."

Kidnapping?! Quite suddenly, WordGirl put the pieces together in her head. "Kidnapped...for years...Wait, The Do...The Time Lord's right! I am the only witness that Captain Huggyface needs!"

"Let the Arbiter decide that...after all, we're already there."

Sure enough, a large building that was modeled after a set of balancing scales (it consisted of one central tower with two platforms extending out from the sides) came into view, no longer being obstructed by the policemen's bodies.

**It wasn't much longer before the trial began...**

Everyone who couldn't fly had their own floating platform to stand on, as the trial took place at the top of the really tall, artificially lit (since there were no windows) room. There, a grand bearded figure in flowing red robes sat at an impressive desk built into the wall, and several attendants floating alongside him.

WordGirl heard whispering from the crowd: "_Why is the Grand Arbiter himself working this trial? Shouldn't Radjusticer-_"

"_Haven't you been paying attention? Arbiter Radjusticier's the one who lost his daughter! They think adding emotions like that into consideration would make things unfair for the defendant and endanger any hope of justice and fairness for him!_"

"_But why should he even need it? I mean, he's pretty much the only suspect in this case – has been since it began! Besides, he endangered a little girl – who'd want to give a guy like him fairness?_"

"_That's not how it works on Lexicon, sir. Here, we have arbiters rather than judges, and the whole idea is that arbiters resolve disputes and disagreements. The Arbiter has to hear both sides of the story...even when the outcome isn't in doubt._"

On one hand, It disgusted her to hear everyone put so little faith in her best friend...but on the other, she confirmed one of her suspicions regarding Huggy's arrest. "Arbiter Radjusticier...lost a daughter!" she said to herself.

She glanced over to Huggy, who was stuck in a small glowing cage...and he read her face, and squeaked in praise of her confidence.

"I'm not just confident about helping you out, Huggy – I'm certain! As soon as it's my turn to speak, I'll have you out of there!...the legal way, of course!"

Just then, a sound echoed all throughout the strange 'courtroom.' It was somewhere between a gong, a mallet hitting wood, and the sound WordGirl made when she flew. But whatever it was, it silenced the room so that a single voice could be heard:

"Attention! Now begins the trial of ex-Air Force exploration pilot Captain Huggyface, charged with the kidnapping of Bejusticie, daughter of the Arbiter Radjusticier. You are now advised to remain silent for the duration of the event, unless you have information that is vital and relevant to the task at hand: determining whether or not Captain Huggyface is guilty, and should be punished according to Lexiconian Law. If you have such information, signal in an appropriate manner that you wish to present it, when an opportunity arises. Otherwise, remain seated and silent. Be reminded, however: If the Arbiter calls on you specifically, you do not have the option of refusing. Also be reminded that if any information you provide turns out to be irrelevant or pointlessly malicious, you will be fined according to if, and how much, the Arbiter thinks you should pay. With this in mind, let the trial commence."

(Susan asked her grandfather what a fine was, to which the Doctor explained it was an amount of money paid as punishment.)

"Thank you, announcer." said the robed figure at the desk, who WordGirl figured was the arbiter in charge. "Now, let us first hear the account of the victim's father, Arbiter Radjusticier."

On cue, a red-clothed man floated from the crowd to the middle of the room: he reminded WordGirl of the ceiling-painting and statues in her spaceship's library, except his clothes looked a little worn, and hair didn't seem as well-kept as it did back then. If this was Arbiter Radjusticier, WordGirl figured his living without a child had been a hard time for him.

"Thank you, Grand Arbiter." began Radjusticier, shakily. "It all started fourteen years ago, one year after my darling Bejusticie was born. Captain Huggyface, the accused, had just been commissioned to gather books and histories from other worlds...it was to be a present from my teacher, a reward for exceeding all his expectations, and being worthy of the Arbiter title at my young age..."

At this point, he took a look at Captain Huggyface, and broke down in tears all of a sudden. "Oh had I known what evil lay in that unseeming face!"

The instant the crying started, another figure (this time a female) flew in from the crowd to help console the weeping man; A quick glance at her, and another memory of the library's painting, made WordGirl guess that the woman was Radjusticier's wife.

"Oh, don't worry, honey. It'll all be better soon. He will be punished for endangering our little girl. I'm sure of that." she said, arousing a very discomforting feeling within WordGirl. Not exactly _anger_ but more along the lines of..._betrayal._

"*Sniff!* Thank you, Saldictecies. That really helped. Now...We were just about to see him off...when I was called upon by my teacher, then Arbiter of this very city, to help him out with a trial. A Time Lord, going by the name of 'Koschei' was being charged with attempting to turn our very soil into the poisonous substance known as Lexonite, which would have resulted in a massive worldwide disaster. And he would have done so too, if it weren't for the intervention of Astellakar and another Time Lord called Theta Sigma."

(upon hearing this, WordGirl glanced at the Doctor, who was trying to hide himself from Radjusticier's field of view)

"I was called on to talk to the Time Lord High Council, who wished that Koschei be given to them so he could face Gallifreyan justice. But my master was insistent that Koschei be tried on Lexicon...anyway, it went on so long that I missed the launch of Huggyface's ship, as did my wife because she was at the trial itself."

"Yes," Saldictecies added, "It turned out my library was the one where Koschei got the research he needed to commit his crimes, and thus I was a key witness. I was dragged there quite suddenly (WordGirl, the Doctor, and Susan all understood what she went through). It was there that...that I lost sight of my daughter."

"As soon as we could, we mounted a search for her...but she was nowhere to be found on the planet. And Huggyface's ship had strayed from its course and disappeared, and all attempts to search for _it_ proved worthless! We had to get used to the notion...that we would never see our little baby ever again..."

***Sniff!* I need a change in scenery!**

CRASH! SMASH! CRACK!

With each wall destroyed, there were lots more innocent citzens to be frightened (and weakened). And as they ran, he cried out: "_That's right, run! Run you word-loving villains! The Anti-Literate is here to punish you for bringing evil to the universe, and there's no one who can stop me!_"

**GAH! That's not what I had in mind!**

Ignoring the narrator, the Anti-Literate twitched his arms, turning his smaller claws into even bigger claws, and then grabbed a metallic section of the wall, ripping it clean off!

"_Ah, now _there's_ what I seek...it won't be much longer..._"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, ANTI-LITERATE! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"

Before the policemen had finished announcing, three of them had already grasped the Anti-Literate firmly...only to realize that his Lexonite was exposed, meaning they couldn't even keep themselves upright enough to stand up to him!

The Anti-Literate grabbed the massive piece of machinery he had been looking for, and turned back to the helpless policemen: "_You were saying?_"

"...Gu.h...you won't...Engabler...Lesscod...for much..."

"_Oh yes I _will_ endanger Lexicon, up until Lexicon no longer exists! Not even WordGirl can stop me...where is she again? Oh, that's right: __Not here._" And with that final message, the Anti-Literate blasted off into the sky...and then dipped below the layers of buildings, disappearing entirely!

"_Still,"_ he said to himself, _"I wonder how her trial is going..._"

*(one scene transition later)*

"...and that, Grand Arbiter, is why we believe Captain Huggyface is the one most likely to have taken the baby Bejusticie, and furthermore taken her off-planet. This in turn endangered her, as it exposed her to the mass quantities of Lexonite surrounding our very world."

And with that, the policeman flew to the side of the room, which the Grand Arbiter took as a cue to speak: "Well, I think we've heard all we need to..."

"Wait! Grand Arbiter!" shouted WordGirl in shock; "You didn't even-"

"-from the accusing side." finished the Grand Arbiter, silencing WordGirl's concerns right there. "The defense can now make their arguments. Your task now is to prove that the accusers are wrong, and Captain Huggyface did not kidnap or endanger the child Bejusticie, nor is he responsible for the grief and sadness that Bejusticie's parents have been forced to deal with these past years. First, I shall call..."

Just then, the Grand Arbiter noticed WordGirl's hand raised. "WordGirl? Are you saying you want to go first? Why not Captain Huggyface? Surely that would be more proper."

"Yes, but I'm concerned the accusers won't believe anything Huggy says. Besides, I have something to say that will completely turn this trial around...I think."

"Well, then I shall allow it."

With a gulp, WordGirl floated forward into the center of the room. Then, after she took a good look at everyone, especially Radjusticier and Saldictecies, she turned to the Grand Arbiter, and said:

"I think...I'm Bejusticie."

"WHAAAT?!" was the overwhelming response from the crowd.

"And," WordGirl continued, "If that's true, then I have something more to say:" Then, she turned towards Radjusticier and his wife, and said: "Hi, Dad! Hi, Mom!"

**You mean...we actually met WordGirl's real parents?**

…**..Well, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.**

"So, If you're Bejusticie as you claim, you're here to defend your kidnapper?"

"No! Huggy's not my kidnapper, I am!"

Before anyone could ask what she meant, WordGirl turned towards her apparent mother: "Saldicticies! You said that you lost track of Bejusticie during the trial of Koschei, right?"

Still in shock, Saldicticies nodded; "Well," WordGirl continued, "Captain Huggyface didn't take me; I simply wandered off! It was by sheer chance that I wound up on Huggy's ship, and fell asleep inside the cockpit!"

"I guess Huggy was busy waiting for you, since this was supposed to be your present after all..." (a few screeches from Huggy backed her up at that point) "Thank you, Huggy. Anyway, eventually he decided to take off, taking me with him by mistake!"

"But...How did you survive past the orbiting Lexonite? That was why we said she was endangered!"

Huggy screeched at this point, with the Narrator providing subtitles: **"If I'd known I had a stowaway, I wouldn't have even taken off!"**

"**But I didn't notice her, and so I left...the crying started the instant the Lexonite came within range. I knew she was in pain, and it would be too much by the time I **_**could**_** turn around! So, in that split-second, I hit the accelerator and entered warp-speed – smashing into a Lexonite meteor by accident. The ship went out of control, and it was the best I could do to make a crash-landing on Planet Earth!"**

"Planet Earth? _That's_ where you've been all this time?" exclaimed a shocked Radjusticier.

"No wonder they never found you; ever since the Earth got halfway through it's 20th Century, space-travelers were told to stay away from Earth by the Shadow Proclamation – they said it would cause unnecessary panic among the humans! Lexicon's had to get its Earth-literature from alien sources ever since!"

Once the blue-clad Lexiconian finished his contribution, WordGirl continued: "Well, once we _did_ land, Huggy obviously couldn't call for help; the first thing he did was get me adopted by some humans. I became Becky Botsford, daughter of Tim and Sally Botsford, and Huggy became the family pet, Bob. I later discovered my Lexiconian abilities, and decided to become a superhero. When I did, Captain Huggyface became my sidekick! Naming myself WordGirl, I fought back evil and prevented disasters in the name of truth, justice, and the use of the right word!"

"That's exactly what we do!" exclaimed Radjusticier to Saldictecies. "In different ways, of course.."

"Oh, I really hope she _is_ Bejusticie! I would be so proud of her!"

In response to Saldictecies, WordGirl rummaged through her belt... and eventually found what she was looking for. She flew over to them, and held out the thing she just found: one of her baby pictures.

"Well now's your chance to find out! Does this look like Bejusticie did? Because it's one of _my_ baby pictures."

The two Lexiconians looked at the picture...then at WordGirl...then back at the picture...and then pushed the picture aside so they could hug WordGirl!

"You _are_ Bejusticie! You've come back to us!"

"Awww..." WordGirl said, hugging back; "Hi, Dad. Hi, Mom."

"Aww...Hold on, *Ahem*****!" the Grand Arbiter coughed, realizing he had a job to do other than watch family reunions; "Now, Bejusticie...or WordGirl, if you still prefer: Are you sure that story of your arrival on Earth isn't a lie told to you by Captain Huggyface, potentially to cover his tracks?"

"The thought did occur to me on occasion, Grand Arbiter." WordGirl answered, pulling away from her hug, "Part of it because I wasn't even sure Lexicon was a real thing back then! But a visit to the wreckage of Huggy's ship changed that; not only did I learn Lexicon existed, but I also found a recording by the ship's internal camera, showing Huggy and me during his flight! It backed up his story a lot for me!"

"How convenient: The one piece of evidence you'd need to back up your claim, and it's on a distant planet we can't visit even if we wanted to. The Lexonite, and the Shadow Proclamation-"

"I'm sure we could ask the...Shadow Proclamation for special permission!" WordGirl exclaimed in response to the policeman's complaint. "Besides, once Astellakar comes through with his invention, there will be a way to Earth from here."

"And what do you propose happen in the meantime?"

"Well, I was sorta hoping to help you guys out against the Anti-Literate...But I can't do it without my sidekick. Captain Huggyface is the reason I'm here today; The only times he _didn't_ help me were when he couldn't, or when a supervillain had used mind-control on him. Whatever you all may say about him, I trust Captain Huggyface with my life."

…...

"You know," said a policeman, "If you hadn't fought off the Anti-Literate the first time like you did, I would doubt you on the whole superhero thing...but you obviously have experience with that stuff."

"And if there's anything anyone could say, it's listen to the experts." chipped in the Grand Arbiter. "I have reached a temporary decision: Until we can actually go to Earth and fully prove Bejusticie's story, Captain Huggyface...shall go with WordGirl and a squad of police, and help with the Anti-Literate crisis. If there are no objections..."

"None from here! We trust our daughter." said Radjusticier, earning a smile from WordGirl.

"...then I hereby grant Huggy parole. The trial is adjourned until a later date; namely, after Lexicon is safe again."

Then, with a wave of the Grand Arbiter's hand, the energy cage around Huggy disappeared, and he wasted no time in leaping into WordGirl's arms, screeching happily.

"Oh, Huggy, I'm just relieved – I was worried no one would believe me! Even I am having a little trouble believing what just happened! I mean, I thought this was gonna be a simple wrongful-accusation scene...who would've thought I met my birth-parents?"

"We're just glad you did!" said Radjusticier as he and Saldictecies floated on over.

"We're sorry if our first impression seemed a little..." Salciticies paused, wiping away a tear of joy, before continuing: "...heartless, it's just that we spent fourteen years blaming Huggy for all out troubles..."

"Oh, all that's behind us now. Come here!" WordGirl exclaimed before another group hug.

**Well, that was a happy twist in the tale; WordGirl meeting her actual parents in the process of getting Huggy out of trouble! Oh they look so happy...it's a shame that WordGirl has to return to Earth once this all blows over...**

Nobody heard the Narrator except WordGirl, who gasped in shock; she had gotten caught up in the heat of the moment, and almost forgot: She had another family back on Earth! She couldn't just disappear on them...like she did with her Lexiconian parents...the shocking realization of her situation hit her harder than an oncoming train, with a shock more powerful than Miss Power's bullying or the touch of Lexonite on her bare skin could ever be.

She pulled out of the group hug sharply, and while avoiding the loving pair's eyes, said: "Mom, Dad...I don't know if you've thought of this, but...I..."

As her parents eagerly awaited further conversation with their rediscovered daughter, WordGirl stuttered nervously and kept jerking her eyes about...when suddenly her eyes noticed a crack starting to form in one of the walls, that had gone unnoticed by everyone else because they were looking at her!

Thinking quickly, WordGirl yelled out "DOWN!" and flew downwards at top speed. And no sooner did everyone (whether they flew naturally or with a platform) follow her, then the wall burst in, revealing...

"_Argh! What's it going to take to keep you out of my way, WordGirl? I give you a chance to stop defending these evil word-lovers, and still you choose to fight me! WordGirl, you've forced me to take drastic measures against you..._"

Once the Anti-Literate finished speaking, he floated downwards menacingly...

**What are the Anti-Literate's plans for Lexicon and it's people? How does he intend to keep WordGirl from endangering them? Has WordGirl freed Captain Huggyface from the misguided Arbiter, and find her parents, only to doom them all?**

**For these answers and more, stay tuned for the next amazing, stupendous adventure of WORDGIRL!**

* * *

NEXT EPISODE:

**THE CHOICE OF THE HERO**

* * *

_Out of a white void steps a well-dressed, white-haired old man..._

Hello! I'm the Doctor! The original, you might say! And welcome to another edition of 'The Doctor's World!'

_images from the Doctor's travels appear..._

The thing with adventurers like myself, is that we often find ourselves in perilous situations. The word 'perilous' means 'full of peril,' while peril itself means 'serious danger or harm.'

I'm not in peril all the time, but I am often: Like when I'm trapped in a cave with no exit, or when I'm about to have my brains removed by an evil machine, or when I am face to face with brutal enemies like the Voord or the Celestial Toymaker, or the Daleks!

It's pretty easy to find those when you're traveling through time and space, seeking wonder and excitement: There is danger around every corner, and it's not for the faint of heart. Fortunately, I am far from faint of heart.

Back to the show!

* * *

Did you know, according to the Doctor Who expanded universe, the Master's name used to be Koschei? Well, I do, and now the reference I made above makes sense!

Also, if you notice any patterns with the Lexiconian names I've made up so far, Congratulations! You can see inside my thought processes!

Review and follow please!


End file.
